Federal investigators are seeking more details about an incident when a United Airlines plane touched down within about 800 feet (250 meters) of the ocean’s surface after taking off from Hawaii. According to United, the pilots are undergoing further training. Data from tracking service FlightRadar24 shows that the Boeing 777 descended more than 1,400 feet (470 m) before rising again. After that, the flight made its way to San Francisco. There were no reported injuries.
A spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the investigative agency is still seeking information about the Dec. 18 incident, which came to public attention recently after a report by aviation-industry publication The Air Current.
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The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees the airlines, said the United crew reported the incident under a voluntary safety-reporting program. The FAA said it reviewed the incident and took appropriate action” without providing further details.
United said it worked with the FAA and the pilots’ union on an investigation that led to additional training for the two pilots, which is still ongoing. The airline did not explain why the pilots opted to continue the long, over-water flight to San Francisco rather than return to Kahului Airport on the island of Maui.
with PTI inputs